Another sunny day though the time we get the sun is getting later and later. Again we trekked down to the bollet field for a rummage and again there was nothing to be found.

Once the daily chores of washing up, kindling chopping and cleaning out the potbellied stove were out the way we finished off the windows from yesterday. That done Breezy grabbed the loppers and I grabbed the chainsaw to clear the last annoying path of beech from where we have been clearing the meadow. Last job for the morning was for me to scale the roof and mastic the ridge where it has been leaking while Breezy made some lunch.

In the afternoon we took tools down to the bollet field to finish clearing scrub there which is threatening to take over. Lo & behold we came back with another tick off the list and half a dozen Birch Bay Bollets. Just time to make a soak away drain under the terrace before a hot shower under the tree.

Solar controller finally reads that the battery is at 100%. Yippee !!!

It was so cold outside that it took us a while to emerge this morning. And the fire was lit before we did that. After breakfast of muesli and brambles Breezy and I went down to our favourite bollet field to forage, but to no avail.

Once the sun made an appearance we set about finding slabs of rock and finishing the pathway along the terrace.

In the afternoon we made some opening windows for the main barn in preparation for another day of poking lime mortar into cracks.

Roast chuck for supps.

We woke up to hear the rain again and it was really cold. So we lit the fire, brought the next batch of clothes down to dry and did some  Ski Breezy e mail stuff inside.

Al was just about to start fettling the new machine we had bought for cutting wood for the window frames when Alison and Peter arrived with Peter's cousin Carlos. They brought us a huge courgette which will be great to make into a good soup, really soup weather at the moment. We had coffee with them before they trundled back down to Salau.

We wrapped up warm with thermals and headed off to meet Lee and some of his friends at Massat.

Each year at the same time a local farmer donates a cow which they cook for 2-3 days on a spit roast machine and it feeds the village about 500-600 people. Marquees are set up in the little park, music plays and the whole place is chocka. Shame the weather was not good as I think we would have stayed longer but it was not hanging about weather!!! Fabulous beef and salads and plenty of it.

Lee spoke to his neighbour John who has used a different type of material "chanvre chaux" instead of pointing the walls which we wanted to have a look at. So Lee took us up to his house and we walked on to their place and looked at the barn. It looks fab and we can quite see it being used on some of our walls. It is a mixture of lime and hemp really and gives a real cottagey feel about the place. So we are going to look into it further.

On the wander back Lee introduced us to some more edible mushies this time pied de mouton which are really easy to identify and good in casseroles. We also saw loads of trumpets. So learnt a bit more on the mushie front.

Back towards the barn and to stop and see Clive and Giselle. They have just got satelite internet organised so we gave them a bit of help with e mails etc and a glass or two of wine before heading back to the barn.

Neither of us were very hungry so we just had a little bit of terrine for supper before books and bed with the fire roaring.

A very social day.

After all the rain the last couple of days and then heavy rain again overnight the stream has grown to torrent status again. With it the background noise has risen to out do the crickets and the log pile is slowly being eaten into.

This morning the snow limit is down to about 1700m.

Its shopping, washing clothes, and DIY matterials day in St Girons. Also want to catch Hans in the market to talk pointing up the walls.

Got Lee turning up for super this evening and somehow I think we will be indoors???

After heavy rain all night we woke to the river being rather high and we could just see snow to about 1800m. It is chilly.

We headed off down to St Girons for the weekly shop and bits and pieces.

Laundry, glass for the windows, get the trailer tyre puncture sorted and then meet Hans for a coffee in the market.

Back up to Salau where it was still raining so we did not hang about unloading Vinnie.

Delicious prawns for lunch with some fig bread before preparing some food for dinner as we had asked Lee over. Chilli and bramble tart were on the menu.

We had a little time to have a quick forage for mushies but only found one bolette and some brambles for the tart.

Caught up with L'Orangie on Skype which was FAB been a long time since we had a chin wag and a lot to talk about!!!

Lee brought some homemade champagne which was delicious to kick the evening off and we had a good evening with him. 3 people is not too squashed in the out building for dinner, 4 might be more challenging!!! Only space for one person to move about though!!!

Hoping for warmer and brighter weather tomorrow.

We are so used to autumn usually being gorgeous here, getting a bit disappointed with this non discript mizzle, drizzle weather and the heavy rain is even less impressive.

A leisurely start to the day and then whilst it was not pouring we started on the terrace laying some more patio slabs as such (slabs we had mainly got out of the smallest outbuilding) We made quick progress and thought we would finish the slab laying but the weather soon put a stop to that which was a shame.

Retreated indoors and made 2 more lots of beading for the windows before lunch time.

Rain still full on so we decided to use up some of the lime and sand and set to.

Al started the long job of pointing which is going to be a huge job next year and I got 2 of the windows in place and set in with the pointing mix.

Just had time to pick some brambles before supper in between the downpours.

Last day of food before shopping day so it was omlette surprise with marmite potatoes and roquet.

Both of us very close ot finishing our books so we read for an hour before hitting the sack.

A quick internet session for Ski Breezy sorting out enquiries for the chalet in Chamonix, then off for a forage with bags and walking poles. Destination was back up the track towards Mont Rouche where we found the Trompettes des Morts.Started off thinking that it would be meagre pickings but then struck lucky, then again, and again. After a couple of hours we were back at the barn with a couple of carrier bags half full of the black fungi plus a couple of Bolets which we could not identify.

Next problem was what to do with them all. The previous stash have been threaded on cotton and hung up in the outhouse where they are already about a thenth of their original size. However we have run out of thread and the thought of threading up a few hundred mushrooms does not appeal. Should one of us loose a button off a garment we will be reusing the thread from the mushrooms that are dry.

Breezy started cleaning up the booty and I set about making a drying rack from odd bits and pieces then joined her untill we had a rack completely covered in black gold.

Horn of Plenty 

After lunch we went down to our favourite Birch Bay Bollet spot with a basket, seceteurs and croppers to clear some beech scrub. There are some oak saplings just starting out which we want to encourage and give a chance to come through before the beech swamps them. Came back with a basket (from my Mum) of bolets and some blackberries for breakfast.

Birch Bay Bolets  Ready for drying

Quick shower and down to the village to check messages on mobiles, call Clive and see if he
wants any help with his Nordnet kit and to identify the unknown bolets with Adam's help. Adam was in conversation with a couple from the gite. He immediately broke off to say "mauvais bolet" without us even asking him. As per normal the conversation then switched to where, when and what to look for, "Nine days after heavy rain…" Etc etc.

Time has accellerated and the leaves are changing colour rapidly. We know the last couple of weeks are simply gonna disappear and we are gonna be in a last minute thrash about to get everything sorted before leaving. Breezy scribbed and we came up with a list of must do jobs.

Today was a tree day to make progress and plan the next steps. First off was to put in the top cable for the postman's walk between the trees and to get a roof on the first platform. Once the cable was in and tested we had lunch then returned to planning.

Breezy testing 

Outcome was to forget the roof on platform one with the  rationale that it is a deck and if the snow over the winter brings it down we put it down to learning. Platform two is gonna be at the other end of the bridge and will be a circular deck around the trunk of the tree to give access to platform three above it. Platform two will go in this year and the platform above will be big enough to create an indoor area. Substantial we think.

It does not sound a lot but the afternoon was really productive. We recognise that we are learning as we go and that progress is slow (with everything else we have on project wise) but we only have so many hours in a day and so many days available.

Calfs and Quads are a little tender this morning after the steep descent yesterday. Weather, overcast so a good day to get stuff done outside.

First off we have a monster internet session to catch up with the blog and emails and Ski Breezy stuff.

Gather a load of tools and have another go at cutting and burning for the morning. I know it is a drop in the ocean but it is starting to make a difference to the amount of useable pasture we have.

After a late lunch we started shifting slabs of rock from around the site and putting them down to creat a bit of a path for the Mucktruck in and out of the main barn. The terrace out there seems quite a big job still but at least by putting some slabs down we can make the work look smaller. Piccy to follow.

Beef curry and dahl for sups followed by a bit of cheese (if we can catch it) which needs eating as it is a little ripe.